The retreat will be here before we know it! February is just around the corner and we have so many wonderful women attending. It is such a fun event to get projects completed and make new friends. We have three rooms available for single occupancy or double occupancy! So if you would like to attend OR if you have non-member friends that would like to attend, we have spots available. The registration form is on the guild website. If you have questions, contact JoAnne Foster at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

We hope to see you there!

Last month I emailed friendship group contacts to get a current roster of their members. I was pleasantly surprised to learn of how many guild members joined groups this year! A big shout out to Jeanette and Tom Blackburn for starting the Singer Featherweight Group and bringing so many members together!

There are still a few groups I have not heard from and will announce these at the November meeting. (I may have outdated contact information.)

Remember! This kind of information helps your board pick speakers and plan workshops and events which appeal to our members' interests.

Thanks in advance,

Karen Brow-Meier, Friendship Circles 

This is a post on our Guild FaceBook page, by Nancy Feder, our President elect:

Hi Ladies,

My husband and I headed to Maui Quilt Shop directly from the airport to drop off the 12 quilts we brought to donate to fire victims. The owner and staff were absolutely delighted and appreciative. We also saw two parties come in to pick up quilts for themselves. They were so thankful for the quilts and the one couple said they need more people like us. I'm so happy we were able to do this on behalf of our guild. Quilters are just such giving people.

Nancy Feder

01   Mary Shackelford

03   Barbara Coppola

04   Jane Dunmeyer

09   Maryann Donovan

10   Trisha Bresser

13   Elizabeth Galati

16   Joyce Jesko

17   Suzanne Appelman

17   Joyce Ford

18   Kristin Schnieders

20   Marette de Jong

20   Nancy Hansen

21   Linda Jacoway 

22   Sharon Kleven

24   Julia Hall

26   Karen Pendergast

27   Gretchen Clare

27   Carol Lee

29   Dixie Mulligan  

29   Mindy Schultz

30   Cheri McClow

Traveling in our motorhome with my husband and two dogs is an adventure no matter where the destination happens to be. This year is my fifth trip to the Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas. We have gone every other year and this is our third one in the RV. It's a long, bumpy ride with frequent stops at local quilt shops and pit stops for the dogs. There is lots of storage for all of the fabrics and other treasures we purchase, which is a big advantage to flying to Houston or taking the train.  Riding the rails was a huge mistake for us, and more expensive than flying. None of the Amtrak stations are close to any quilt or fabric shops, the trip is long and I didn't get any sleep the entire journey.  Arriving in Houston totally wiped out is not the way to go. We flew home after the quilt show was over. There was no way we were getting back onto the train home. So far, this trip has been a lazy one on old historic Route 66. We stayed overnight in Kingman, AZ., Winslow, AZ., Santa Fe and Albuquerque, and 2 nights in Roswell, NM so far. The owners of the quilt shops that we have been to say that this year has been a great one for their businesses--much better than last year. Unfortunately, my wallet is not doing quite as well with the cost of fabric and notions being so expensive. The prices don't stop me from buying, but I have become a more discriminating shopper.

We still have a week of traveling through Texas before arriving in Houston. (It's Oct. 26 as I write this.)  I need to do my best to save my shopping for the vendors at the show. And I will spend a little time looking at the quilts on display. Life is good, but the motorhome is getting a bit cramped with the four of us. And bags of fabric, and patterns, and notions and. . .

Jeanette Blackburn. Editor

I am so happy to announce that we now have an almost full slate of officers for the next two years. Thank you to everyone who has answered the call and is willing to help with the important functions of running the Guild.

We will be voting to approve this group of women at our November meeting, and I hope you will join me in not only thanking them but also stepping in to support and encourage them as they undertake their new roles. The proposed members of the Executive Board are:

President: Nancy Feder

President-Elect : STILL OPEN..is this you?

Secretary: Sharon Cooperson

Treasurer: Marian Clancy

Ways and Means: Shelly Hoffman

Programs: Debbie Gunning and Sue Frerich

Workshops: Carrie Suggett

Membership: Gwen Williams, Debbie Timmons and Anna Kelso

Happy October,

 Now that fall has officially arrived, when perhaps the season will force you inside a bit more, I hope you are able to spend more time with your fabric and your friends. I have recently returned from doing just that – having spent four days in the beautiful mountains of Big Bear with some of our Board members and Committee chairs at a quilt retreat…now that’s a reason to step up and volunteer for a role in the Guild, wouldn’t you say?

The week after our next meeting, I’m off to the Bay Area to join some long-time friends. Together we will attend  the Pacific International Quilt Festival and then travel on to Pacific Grove for another quilting retreat. Right now, I sound like I’m a bit of a “Quilt retreat Sandwich”.

Our monthly workshops provide this same kind of fabric and friends combination, and we are already offering sign-ups for next January’s class!

I know that many of you are making plans to take our Bus Trip to the Road to California show in January and  to attend our ECQ retreat in February.

Whether or not you can actually “get away” I hope that you can find just a few minutes or perhaps some longer stretches of time to enjoy sewing. Read through the rest of the newsletter to see what else you can do with your fabric and your friends.

Happy Quilting,

 Susan

OCTOBER (This speaker and workshop has been cancelled. The speaker will be Sandy Corbin).

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NOVEMBER

Our November guild meeting will have many areas of interest.  In addition to our WinterTide Market, where there will be many handmade boutique items for sale, we will also hear from three guest speakers, each from a philanthropy we support.  They will share their organization's mission and how our donations have helped them.  

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DECEMBER

Our December guild meeting is sure to be tons of fun!  It is the time we hold our annual holiday party!  The party will include lunch, games and lots of fun!  There is a fee of $10 to attend this event and sign-ups will begin at our October guild meeting.  Don't hesitate, this event is sure to fill up quickly!

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JANUARY 2024

Our January guest speaker is Anne Sonner, of Anne Sonner Quilts!  Her lecture is entitled "Family History Quilts".  She will share with us how to preserve history through the quilts we make.  One of her many methods of doing so is by using photography within her quilts.  Come, learn and enjoy!  www.annesonnerquilts.wordpress.com